46 INFLUENZA. 



tlic number of animals affected, an extremely harassing and 

 expensive — outbreak of influenza. 



Starting from Toronto, where it appeared about the 1st of 

 October, and where in little more than a Aveek by far the 

 larger number of the horses in that city were invalided, it had 

 before the end of the month distributed itself, and appeared 

 at the chief centres of population, not only in the Dominion, 

 but also over a large area of several of the states of the Union. 



Nature of the Disease. — The name "Influenza" is, like many 

 others in medical nosology, much abused, and where most 

 carefully and guardedly employed, is rather ambiguous. It is 

 often a convenient term under which to shroud our doubt or 

 io-norance, and when employed by one man it often conveys 

 to another a different impression from that which it Avas 

 intended to do. 



It is not invariable in its forms of development, nor strictly 

 uniform in its symptoms. The fever of one season or district 

 Avill present considerable variations both in symptoms and 

 lesions from that occurring in a different locality or at another 

 time. These variations, it may be, can to a certain extent be 

 accounted for by the consideration of many extrinsic influ- 

 ences which may be brought to bear on the animal 

 constitution. However, there are forms where none of these 

 influences seem sufiicient to account for the difterences 

 exhibited in its development during life, nor for the dissimi- 

 larity of the lesions observable after death in only variations 

 of one and the same malady. 



It seems to originate under favourable surrounding condi- 

 tions through the reception into the animal body, and its 

 development there, of what is probably a specific animal virus 

 or reproductive agent whereby the circulating life-fluid, the 

 blood, is first vitiated, and after a var3ang period of latency, 

 inducing disturbed enervation, resulting in prostration, great 

 debility, and fever. The peculiar or specific action of the 

 contagium, whether this be unwholesome gases generated 

 by decay and putrefaction of animal or vegetable matter, 

 2^1asmic or bioplasmic spores or granules emanating from 

 already diseased animal textures or living particulate organ- 

 isms, issuing from antecedent and similar organisms, and pass- 

 ing on to the production of corresponding organic entities, it 



